buddymollys

1.20.2016

It’s been nearly a year since we landed in Savannah, leaving our Euro gypsy
feet behind. And while it took us awhile to find our groove (and a place to
live), it didn’t take long to meet the characters of this charming Southern town.

The first month we were here happened to be “music fest month” and
we volunteered with both Stopover and A-Town Get Down, sparking one of a
handful of articles I wrote for South Magazine.

With our first few months and experiences out of the way, and well
into my third trimester, I started writing for Do Savannah, the Thursday arts
and entertainment pull out section of the Savannah Morning News, and with it
words, photography and community collided.

That is where I met the People in my Neighborhood.

People in my neighborhood: Act 1Clintonlet me throw things at his
head during our shoot, and he opened a rad used art supply shop down the
street. 2 for 2, this guy.

People
in my neighborhood: Act 2

Albert is one of the formidable forces behind
the Thomas Square Edible Park. And he’s damn quotable, too: “We have faith that
the seed knows just what to do. All we do is plant it.” (Get it?)

I didn’t get to photograph Panhandle Slim, but was honored
to talk to him about his latest project painting tribute portraits of the
Emanuel Nine. I am grateful to be surrounded by a community of such talented
and loving folks.

Sweet Caroline: You can take the girl out of Deutschland but you can’t take
Deutschland out of the girl.

People
in my neighborhood: Act 10:

The kids of DEEPI was fortunate to volunteer with
DEEP, an amazingly creative after-school program encouraging the written word.
My job was minimal – taking “author” photos of the students at a few of the
schools around town. As a respite from pictures of my kiddo, and as a reminder
that I am, in fact, a photographer, here’s a few shots.

1.15.2016

A beloved companion who could light up a room with her smile
and instill fear in the same hot, ankle-biting breath, Skydog died peacefully
on Jan. 5, 2015, surrounded by her family. She was 13.

The spry Australian shepherd was known for her lightning
speed, high-flying Frisbee-catching acrobatics and signature swivel hips, which
she wagged in lieu of her missing tail.

Born “Sierra Skyy” in Ocala, Fla., Oct. 20, 2002, the feisty
runt of the litter quickly dropped the second ‘y’ in her name and went by
Skydog or just Sky-diggity.

She spent her formative years frolicking in the shadow of the Tanner family’s (“Full
House”) house on San Francisco’s Alamo Square. And though disciplined enough to
stroll leash-less through the busy streets of the Lower Haight, her nose for
mischief landed her on Animal Planet’s “Animal Cops,” after she jumped out of a
second story window and was later captured & returned by animal control.

She made that leap a second time – with the cast from the
first jump still fresh on her right leg – after a larger neighbor dog helped
her pry open the window.

These Houdini-like skills were tested and strengthened in
every place in which she lived, as she methodically defeated backyard fences,
bedrooms, kennels and basements in her insatiable quest to be free.

With these epic escapes came an even more impressive list of
damages her family was obliged to pay. Experts estimate the total to be
somewhere in the ballpark of several thousand dollars, including most notably a
1,000 euro set of custom blinds, a Turkish cleaner’s faux designer jeans and
two metal crates that she systematically dismantled over the course of several
weeks.

These costs paled in comparison to the joy she brought her
family through her robust personality and indomitable will.

The memories she left behind, just like the bite marks,
tufts of fur, and scattered bits of cereal, are everywhere she was and will not
soon be forgotten.

10.08.2015

So, yeah, we had a baby, which is why this blog hasn’t been
updated in a few months. Babies are time consuming little humans. They keep you
up all night, pee in your face, throw up on your freshly laundered shirt (which
you had to wash prematurely because they threw up on it) and sleep the only
hours of the day you cannot.

Then they lay their head on your shoulder or smile
at you unprovoked or do something so unbelievably cute that you just sigh and
whisper: “You little a-hole. I couldn’t love you more.”

Anyway, here’s our Oscar Blu, born July 23rd, weighing in at a hefty 8’10, 21 inches long. In the 2 plus months he’s
been here, we’ve learned that he, like his parents, has some promising Gypsy feet.
He loves being out and about and gets bored easily. He’s not a sleeper, which
we attribute to his desire to make sure he doesn’t miss anything in this brand
new world. He’s been bright-eyed since birth.

And yes, every cliché and stereotypical thing that new
parents say about falling in love at first sight is true – so let me just gush
for a moment. Jeremy and I are totally in love with our little dude. He’s
perfect, even when he’s not. Even when he’s a little a-hole.